Latin Texts & Translations

This place, too, will be the most appropriate one for making some mention of the Euphrates. This river rises in Caranitis ^[Note], a præfecture of Greater Armenia, according to the statement of those who have approached the nearest to its source. Domitius Corbulo says, that it rises in Mount Aba; Licinius Mucianus, at the foot of a mountain which he calls Capotes ^[Note], twelve miles above Zimara, and that at its source it has the name of Pyxurates. It first flows past Derxene ^[Note], and then Anaitica ^[Note], shutting out ^[Note] the regions of Armenia from Cappadocia. Dascusa ^[Note] is distant from Zimara seventy-five miles; from this spot it is navigable as far as

Sartona ^[Note], a distance of fifty miles, thence to Melitene ^[Note], in Cappadocia, distant seventy-four ^[Note] miles, and thence to Elegia ^[Note], in Armenia, distant ten miles ; receiving in its course the rivers Lycus ^[Note], Arsanias ^[Note], and Arsanus. At Elegia it meets the range of Mount Taurus, but no effectual resistance is offered to its course, although the chain is here twelve miles in width. At its passage ^[Note] between the mountains, the river bears the name of Omma ^[Note]; but afterwards, when it has passed through, it receives that of Euphrates. Beyond this spot it is full of rocks, and runs with an impetuous tide. It then divides that part of Arabia which is called the country of the Orei ^[Note], on the left, by a channel three

schœni ^[Note] in width, from the territory of the Commageni ^[Note] on the right, and it admits of a bridge being thrown across it, even where it forces a passage through the range of Taurus. At Claudiopolis ^[Note], in Cappadocia, it takes an easterly direction; and here, for the first time in this contest, Taurus turns it out of its course; though conquered before, and rent asunder by its channel, the mountain-chain now gains the victory in another way, and, breaking its career, compels it to take a southerly direction. Thus is this warfare of nature equally waged,—the river proceeding onward to the destination which it intends to reach, and the mountains forbidding it to proceed by the path which it originally intended. After passing the Cataracts ^[Note], the river again becomes navigable; and, at a distance of forty miles from thence, is Samosata ^[Note], the capital of Commagene.